As for extra features, there's a small clip-on tray attached to the rear of the waffle maker to catch any errant drips (it really works), and a sturdy dial that allows you to adjust your browning preferences on a scale of 1-7, with 1 being the lightest and 7 being the darkest. A lighted indicator and pleasant chime let you know when your waffles are done cooking. The locking lid is solid and the handle feels great in the hand. The interior heats up evenly and is generously proportioned to produce 1-inch thick waffles with deep, crisp wells. And though the plates are not removable, the nonstick surface requires no greasing, releases the waffles with ease, and cleans astonishingly well after cooking.
Get ready for more of a good thing with the Cuisinart Classic Waffle Maker. Bake delicious waffles fast with this gleaming stainless steel appliance. Nonstick plates, indicator lights and a regulating thermostat make operation easy while the five-setting browning control mean your waffle will always be baked to perfection. Top chocolate waffles with ice cream for an update on the ice cream sandwich, or try cheddar cheese and chive waffles as an out-of-the-ordinary complement to soup or chili. It’s time to break away from breakfast! Cooks can use a convenient appliance like a double waffle maker or a countertop oven to save time and space. The baking plates of a double waffle iron are coated to prevent sticking so the Belgian waffles don’t get caught when removing the pastries from the unit. The flip design of a double waffle iron makes it easy to perfectly brown and then remove each waffle. If the waffle maker accidentally gets left on, its automatic shutoff feature turns it off. This preserves the life of the device and avoids the risk of an overheated electric appliance causing a fire.
I speak from experience: a few months ago, clear out of nowhere, I was struck by a need for homemade waffles. I had to have them—and because I live in New York City and expect immediate gratification, I proceeded directly to my local discount emporium and procured a plastic waffle iron—covered in a thin film of dust—for the sum of $16.99. Back home, I washed it and hastily set about mixing up a bowl of batter. Sadly, this story has a grim ending: even after the the requisite heating and greasing, pouring and griddling, the specimens that emerged from my iron were flabby and pale—hardly deserving of the name waffle and certainly a far cry from the feast of my dreamings. Turn your favorite waffle recipe into a bowl in just minutes. Whether you fill your bowl up with fruit and yogurt or even ice-cream with whipped cream this Waffle Bowl Maker simplifies your life in the kitchen. It makes two bowls at a time so you can mix and match. From breakfast to dessert the non-stick coated plates makes baking waffle bowls easy and fun. If our main pick sells out, we also like the Chef’sChoice WafflePro Classic Belgian (840B), our original top pick, which performs just as well as the Krups—but only with thick batter, which makes it less flexible in practice. It also produces fewer waffles at a time than the Krups, but it does have a wide range of doneness settings, and it will beep when your waffles are ready.

For the second round of waffle testing, we used Stella’s overnight yeasted waffle batter. Although this batter also relies on steam to power the rise, the fermentation by the yeast fills the batter with air bubbles even before the creation of steam, so it gets a one-two punch of leavening. This batter was thicker than the buttermilk batter due to the air bubbles it contained, which meant there was no difference between waffles made in a flip waffle maker and those made in a non-flip unit. The same irons that performed poorly due to inadequate heating in the previous test fell short here as well, but with less dramatic results, because steam isn’t the only leavening agent in this batter.

Finally, be aware that if you're getting so-so results from a waffle maker that usually draws rave reviews, the problem might be your batter instead of the machine. Users who substitute pancake batter for waffle batter quickly find out that there is, indeed, a difference between the two. Pancake batter in a waffle iron generally produces a heavy, dense mess that'll stick to the waffle iron like glue, and users warn that some "waffle recipes" found on the back of pancake mix boxes don't do much better. If you're into creative pancake making, you'll do better cooking them on a stovetop skillet or electric skillet, both of which we cover in separate reports. There’s a lot to love about the Cuisinart Round Classic Waffle Maker. It heats up and bakes faster than any other in our test. And it was one of the few that gave a very distinct range of shades from light to dark—although it’s beyond me why anyone would want their waffles pale and flabby. Not only is the appliance itself small and thin, it stands up for storage and the cord can be wrapped in the bottom. While there’s a light to indicate that it’s ready for batter and that waffles are fully baked, there’s no sound so you have to keep an eye on it. We think that’s a small drawback for a waffle maker this good and this inexpensive.
Love the look and feel of this waffle maker, but it takes 6 min to make a light golden brown waffle. If you are only making a waffle for one person, this product is great, but if you have to make them for family or friends, I recommend you buy one with a temperature setting. I sent mine back and bought one with a temp setting. Family can now enjoy waffles together. Cuisinart recommends the heat setting #3 for golden brown waffles. If you prefer crisper, darker waffles, increase the browning control to setting #4 or 5. For evenly filled waffles, pour the batter onto the center of the lower grid and close the cover. We recommend using 1/2 cup batter per waffle for evenly filled waffles. Waffles are best when made to order, but baked waffles may be kept warm in a 200°F oven. Place in a baking pan or wrap in foil while in the oven. Waffles wrapped in foil may lose their crispiness. Baked waffles may be frozen. Allow to cool completely, then place in plastic food storage bag. Use waxed paper to keep waffles separated. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven when ready to use.
The Krups has a relatively small footprint for a machine that can produce four waffles at a time. It takes up just about a foot of counter space, and at just 4½ inches tall, it’s much easier to store than a bulky flip-style machine. A spool on the underside allows you to wrap up and secure the power cord easily, and because the lid locks in place, you can store this machine either upright or flat. Plus, the construction of this machine is nice and sturdy, as the hinge doesn’t wobble, and the dial turns smoothly and feels reliable. Krups also covers the GQ502D with a two-year limited warranty. After spending 35 hours making (and eating) waffles with eight of the most popular and highly rated models on the market, we determined the BELLA – 13591 Classic Rotating Belgian Waffle Maker is the best waffle maker for consumers. This model quickly and consistently produced the best-tasting waffles, evenly cooked every time and with good control over browning. For a compact option, we like the Cuisinart – Round Classic. Overall, the Krups was as easy to use as any machine we tested—though no machine is particularly tricky to figure out, as long as you read the instructions. Still, the GQ502D’s intuitive, set-it-and-forget-it system made the process particularly simple. Like all waffle makers, it does get hot in places: The steam vent at the back heated up quickly for us, and the top of the machine was too hot to touch after a couple of rounds of waffles. But the heatproof handle stayed cool, even after multiple uses, something that couldn’t be said of competitors like the Black+Decker Removable Plate Waffle Maker (WM700R), where built-up steam around the handle made the machine uncomfortable and risky to use. Double the waffles and double the taste with the BLACK+DECKER Double Flip Waffle Maker! Dual cooking plates let you make two waffles at once, while the classic rotate and cook system creates awesome texture and taste. Plus, the nonstick waffle plates have extra-deep grids to make room for all your favorite toppings. BLACK+DECKER just made tasty breakfasts a whole lot easier!

Although we included one cast aluminum stovetop waffle maker, we decided to eliminate cast iron models, because seasoning the material added another layer of complexity to use and care. In addition, we were interested in testing a waffle maker with interchangeable plates (one that could also serve as a grill or panini press, for example), but the particular model we had our eye on, the T-fal EZ Clean Sandwich and Waffle Maker, has been discontinued, and in a later conversation with Matt Maichel, he confirmed that a device dedicated solely to waffle making works better than one that multitasks.

There are millions of recipes for waffles, but most batters fall into two distinct categories: yeast-raised (more commonly used for thicker Belgian-style waffles) and baking powder-leavened (also called "American"; think Bisquick and the like). That said, you can use yeast-raised batter in American-style waffle makers and American-style batter in Belgian-style waffle makers—the results will just be a little different than usual due to the differing shapes and sizes. Our lineup of contenders included both Belgian- and American-style machines, though for the sake of simplicity we eliminated "flip-style" models. (They tend to take up more space than other waffle irons and a perusal of anecdotal reviews indicated that they didn't perform any better.) We tested all of the machines using this crispy waffle recipe, minus the caramel coulis.
If you love waffles, it’s worth giving the large Cuisinart Double Belgian Waffle Maker some of your precious counter real estate. It makes the waffles dreams are made of thick, fluffy, and tender on the inside, and crunchy on the outside. Plus, it bakes two at a time. After you add batter to one chamber, you rotate it in its frame, fill the other side, and rotate it again. Lights and tones signal when each one is done. Unlike less expensive flip machines, this one feels solid and well built. It also comes with a ¾ cup measure for batter.
Bryan is our cooking and kitchen expert, with more than 15 years of experience of cooking and testing kitchen products. When outside of the kitchen, he enjoys woodworking, photography, videography and figuring out how to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. He thoroughly enjoys discovering the best, whether it’s ingredients or equipment, and finding products that can stand the rigors of daily use. I’ll get some work in eventually (I hope) and I’ll stop mooning around, nostalgic for Bakugans and paying €4 to watch a child scream through a 2-minute ride on a migraine-inducing technicolour carousel. No one in their right mind could or should be lost in a fog of exquisitely painful elegiac nostalgia for a foot and urine scented soft play area or Jay Jay Le Petit Avion and I’m sure my right mind is around here, somewhere. Depending on the quality of the device, waffle makers can last anywhere from a matter of months to a decade. I would suggest that you read reviews by people who have had their wafflers for longer to get an idea of how long you can expect your machine to last. As long as you purchase a decent waffle maker and take care of it, you should be able to make it last for at least a few years. The Presto FlipSide 3510 Belgian Waffle Maker draws an unqualified recommendation and Best Buy designation from a professional test kitchen. Thousands of happy owners agree, saying it makes the best waffles they've ever eaten and does so consistently, waffle after waffle. The 3510 is small enough for even the tiniest kitchen, and includes a nice array of features that make it very simple to use. Durability is another plus, with some owners reporting they've had theirs for years.
What we liked: This large and affordable unit makes four waffles at a time. The square waffles produced by this model don’t feature wells as deep as those of the Cuisinart or All-Clad, but they are chewy and tender, with crispy edges and peaks. The removable, dishwasher-safe plates are our favorite feature, as deeper-welled Belgian-waffle makers can be difficult to clean. This waffle iron is particularly worth considering if you typically use a store-bought waffle mix, which is less sensitive to inconsistent heating than homemade batter. The cord storage and locking handles make the Krups simple to store, even with its large capacity.
Someone gave us one of these 12 years ago as a wedding gift. Used it every other weekend for all that time, and, like many heat-producing appliances, the heating element just wore out over time. We definitely got our money's worth out of it, and when it failed, we decided to get another one just like it because it had been so good. This one LOOKS the same as our old one, but definitely doesn't have the same quality build or performance of our old one. Hinge was loose and wobbly out of the box, the thermostat lacks precision (no difference between 3 and 5 settings), the heating element burns the center of the waffle while leaving the outside soggy and undercooked, it overflowed even with less than the 1/4 cup of batter recommended by the recipe, and the waffles invariably stick! We sent back the first one we ordered after it demonstrated these substandard characteristics, thinking it was just defective, and ordered another one. It wasn't a defect -- the second one had the same shortcomings: flimsy build, useless thermo adjustment, uneven cooking, and shallow waffle plates. It's too bad. This used to be a great product, but Cuisinart has cheaped out -- recommend you look elsewhere for a waffle maker. Now, because you can't toss your new electrical appliance in the sink with soapy water, here's how to clean a waffle maker: The good news is that waffle makers have drastically improved in recent years — nearly every model now comes with nonstick cooking plates, which means that (with proper upkeep) you won't be using a toothpick to dislodge burnt-on waffle bits. We recommend allowing your iron to cool first, then wiping the plates clean with a dry paper towel. If any grime remains, spot clean them with a damp cloth or let a bit of cooking oil sit on the grime for a few minutes before wiping away. And avoid using nonstick cooking spray, as this stuff will cook onto the plates and become nearly impossible to remove. The result: No more nonstick coating.

Before beginning these tests, I'd heard buzz that the All-Clad Belgian Waffle Iron was the Cadillac of waffle makers—a hulking, shiny, stainless steel behemoth capable of turning out batch after batch of five-star hotel-buffet-quality waffles. I was intrigued, but given that it came with a gulp-inducing price tag of $200, also very skeptical. Could the waffles it made really be five times better than those from its lower-priced competitors?

A. It's great to get kids involved in the kitchen, and making waffles is a relatively simple task. Waffle makers are fairly safe, but because the cooking plates get very hot, we don’t recommend kids use them without an age-appropriate level of adult supervision. Ideally, look for waffle makers with handles or exteriors that stay cool to the touch while in use.